Yes. From the work in the photograph, I would not treat this simply as “bad handwriting” or laziness. The boy appears to be trying, but there are significant difficulties with letter formation, spacing, size, copying accurately, and getting his thoughts onto paper. Some answers also seem difficult to read even when the intended word can be guessed.
Because he has already repeated Basic 3, I think the most important thing is to move from “he needs to write better” to “we need to understand why writing is so difficult for him.”
What I would tell the parents
You can explain it like this:
> “Your child is making an effort, and we should not label him as lazy or unserious. However, his handwriting and copying difficulties are affecting his academic performance. Repeating the class again may not solve the underlying problem. We need to find out whether he has difficulties with fine-motor skills, visual processing, attention, spelling, language, or a specific learning difficulty affecting writing. Once we understand the difficulty, we can give him the right support.”
I would particularly encourage them not to shame him, compare him with other children, or repeatedly punish him for untidy writing. That can make a child afraid of writing rather than better at it.
What you can do in school
Try a structured intervention for several weeks:
1. Give him less copying from the board.
Copying from a distant board is actually quite demanding. Give him a printed/nearby model to copy from and see whether his accuracy improves.
2. Let him copy one short line at a time.
Don't put a whole paragraph on the board and expect him to reproduce it.
3. Check whether he can write when someone dictates slowly.
This is very useful:
If he can write dictated words reasonably well but cannot copy from the board, there may be a visual/copying issue.
If he struggles with both, the difficulty may be broader.
4. Check his letter formation.
Work on a few letters at a time rather than the entire alphabet. Practise starting points, direction, size and spacing.
5. Use handwriting paper with clear lines.
Wider lines and visual guides can help him control letter height and positioning.
6. Give him extra time.
Speed and neatness should not be demanded simultaneously from a child who is struggling with the mechanics of writing.
7. Allow oral answers when appropriate.
This helps you distinguish “he doesn't know the answer” from “he knows it but cannot put it on paper.”
8. Keep a sample every 2–4 weeks.
Compare his writing over time. Parents are much more likely to understand the problem when you can show them, “This was his writing in September; this is where he is now.”
Please ask the parents to have him assessed
This is the part I would be quite firm about.
A child who has repeated a class and continues to have major difficulty reading, copying and producing written work deserves more investigation. It doesn't automatically mean dyslexia, dysgraphia or any other condition, and you shouldn't diagnose him yourself. But it is worth having his difficulties assessed.
Depending on what is available where you live, the parents could seek an evaluation from a paediatrician, educational psychologist, special-education professional, occupational therapist, or other qualified learning specialist. His vision and hearing should also be checked if they haven't been checked recently.
The purpose isn't to give him a label. It is to answer:
> “What is making this child struggle, and what kind of teaching/support will allow him to learn?”
One particularly important experiment
Tomorrow, try this with him.
Write one short sentence on a sheet of paper and place it directly beside him. Ask him to copy it.
Then write a different short sentence on the board and ask him to copy it.
Compare the two.
If his writing is substantially more accurate from the nearby model than from the board, that's valuable information to share with his parents and whoever assesses him.
Also ask him to tell you the answers orally before writing them. If he can give good answers verbally but cannot record them legibly, that tells you something important: the problem may not simply be lack of understanding.
And I would absolutely acknowledge the progress you've seen in his reading. If your faith is important to the family, you can say that you are grateful for the improvement in his reading, while also believing that he deserves practical support for the areas that remain difficult. Faith and professional educational support can work together; one doesn't have to replace the other.
Most importantly, don't let the handwriting sample become evidence that he is incapable. It should become evidence that he needs a different approach.
